The season of Autumn at Happy Valley Norfolk is a truly magical one. With dappled sun lighting up the turning leaves in the ancient woodland and a natural canopy of confetti on the forest floor. We are set up to host 150 wedding guests and more! A transitional time which marks the end of the Summer Season as we ready ourselves for Winter. October is seasonally temperate with a backdrop of golden leaves, oranges and ever greens – creating a breath-taking palette for your photography scenes.

Reinvent and revolutionise the traditional barn venue at Happy Valley Norfolk. We have two stripped back barns, for those who appreciate a more natural vibe. The rustic nature of the Hay barn, is the perfect setting for your ceremony. Yes… you can legally say ‘we do’ on site too! The wood burner will keep your guests cosy and comfortable, whilst candlelight will complement your deeper, richer florals. The Dutch barn is a boho-inspired space, with panoramic views of the mystical lake and meadowland. The larger of the two, our Dutch barn has hosted many a wedding party, creating the celebratory feels for flavoursome feasts, bands and beats, ensuring all guests find their dancing feet!

The nature-inspired Glamping at Happy Valley, brings your nearest and dearest together in a relaxed Norfolk way. With an eclectic choice of Handmade Cabins, Shepherds Huts and Bell tents to kick back in. Each with their own colourful character and stylish comfort. We have taken care of your every need, leaving you and your Wedding party to make the most of your time together. We love to see our guests connecting with nature in the Whimsical Woodland sheltered by the canopy of pine trees. The Wood Fired Hot tub is a peacefully picturesque spot to take a dip and drink in the changing hues of the season.

If you would like to luxuriate further as Mr & Mrs, Toad Hall is the intimate yet spacious lodge you will never want to check out of. Sleeping up to 6 people, with its own Hot Tub and absolutely every detail covered, we ensure your wedding is the kind that dreams are made of. What’s more? The entire site is exclusively yours to unravel and re-wild in during your stay.

We still have some limited availability for Wedding Bookings this October, 2019. If you would like to say ‘I Do’ and make your Wedding wishes come true, we have a super friendly team to support you every step of the way… ensuring your Wedding Party is the one that everyone remembers as the most naturally dazzling day!

The gorgeous family festival that is Tribe Norfolk weekend returns to Happy Valley for the second year on the 13 & 14th July. The perfect day out in Norfolk or make a weekend of it and camp over. There’s a little glamping still available!

Celebrating all that is Norfolk. Guests will be able to enjoy the beauty of the wild, the splendour of Norfolk creatives, taste fabulous cuisine, dance to an array of Norfolk Musicians, buy local treats at the Norfolk Produce and Makers Market. Enjoy a range of workshops for all ages plus enjoy holistic therapies in the nurturing and supportive community in which Tribe Norfolk has become.

Emily will be returning to Tribe Norfolk Weekend 2019 with her hip hop and reggae yoga for all ages. Pre-booking will be available soon and we recommend securing your space (classes are free but spaces limited) and there may be opportunity for drop-ins on the day.

Mumma Wolf is a project which aims to empower families through yoga, mindfulness and a connection with nature. Working with Tribe Norfolk, we've created a yoga experience for all little people and families: short bursts of yogic story-telling, free for all families throughout the day, surrounded by the sighing stream and whispering willows of a magical little island nestled right in the heart of Happy Valley. For calm, for fun and for connection. We want your Tribe Norfolk Weekend to be as experiential as possible - an opportunity to make memories that will last a lifetime. We have some wonderful workshops for you and your family to enjoy…. grab your tickets now!

The Twiggle Team from BeWILDerwood will be at Tribe Norfolk festival again with some of your favourite curious characters from the woods. Expect games, giggles, storytelling and crafting in true BeWILDerwood style! Fabulous, family fun.

Grown ups and children can have fun learning how to turn old clothes and fabric scraps into simple and effective jewellery. With a focus on limiting the waste involved in sewing/clothes making, all of the buttons, beads, ribbon, feathers and tassels that can be added to the handmade jewellery are remnants/second hand or made from second hand materials.

Pottery Workshops

Claire of Wayside Pottery and Alice Cary Art will be joining forces to expand on the pottery workshops we held last year. Claire’s stand was booked through Tribe Norfolk 2018 and the feedback from the children was hugely positive.

Alice’s work is inspired by her travels and the Norfolk coastal landscape. Alice creates functional ceramics, some of which are illustrated. Alice also works with various printmaking techniques onto clay using coloured slips, sponges and rollers. She creates her own work from her studio in north Norfolk. At Tribe Norfolk she will be helping with have a go at a throw as well as the primitive clay workshops.

Donna of Pretty Cactus Plants will be offering simple macrame workshops, making plant holders and beautiful home decor. Email Donna direct to arrange your workshop, drop-in on the day may be available.

Feathers Futures Community Interest Company was set up to empower and enable women to make positive choices about their futures. We have a base in Great Yarmouth where women over the age of 18 are welcome to come and access support, build confidence, resilience and reduce isolation. Currently there are around 50 women accessing our workshops and courses on offer, as well as our peer support groups. Our aim is to offer that safe, supportive place for women to grow.

We have some amazing musical talent in Norfolk and a stellar line-up of bands and artists appearing at Tribe Norfolk Weekend 2019. Buy your tickets before the event to avoid higher prices on the door and to the full list of artists performing, pay a visit to our Bands Page.

Mengelmoes will delight with a jazz-funk, alternative, indie mish-mash from the band hailing from Norwich and Front Bangs appear with an indie rock sound and energetic stage show. The Magic E’s are a melodic rock ‘n’ roll band with years of music industry experience between them whilst Backwards City are a new up-and-coming trio with an ambient, downtempo sound.

Mengelmoes will delight with a jazz-funk, alternative, indie mish-mash from the band hailing from Norwich and Front Bangs appear with an indie rock sound and energetic stage show. The Magic E’s are a melodic rock ‘n’ roll band with years of music industry experience between them whilst Backwards City are a new up-and-coming trio with an ambient, downtempo sound.

The beauty transforms through colour and this time of year is rather special at Happy Valley. The mix of trees in the forest make for the most splendid colour display and you can experience Nature therapy at it’s best.

The evidence is forever mounting that being immersed in Nature has huge health benefits and it’s not hard to see why. Experiencing the forest, embracing the seasons and getting outside with your loved ones is why the guests at Happy Valley keep on returning.

Norfolk Sunsets are hard rivalled and you get the very best views at Toad Hall.

What our Guests Say -

Very grateful to have received this award for the 9th time in a row. Lucky to be blessed with some amazing guests who all love Happy Valley as much as we do. #HonestHosting

If you're looking for a Woodland Wedding with a bridged Island, Party Barn, Luxury Lodge, Glamping, Camping and a hot tub then Happy Valley is the Venue for you. You can create the Wedding YOU want at this hidden gem in North West Norfolk. An unspoilt part of the Norfolk countryside with magic written all over it. Natural Springs a plenty and enchanted forests engulf .

Forget the restrictions and embrace the woodland wilderness for a festival Wedding. Hired for 3 days and 2 nights you can be assured that the memories made will last you a lifetime. Here at Happy Valley taking your time is at the top of our ethos.

There's no funny extras like Corkage fees or restrictions on caterers and bar. You really do have the blank canvas to create whatever Wedding you desire. We've seen Festival Weddings, Bohemian and Free Spirited Weddings, Traditional Style Weddings, Woodland Weddings, Vintage Weddings, Neon Weddings and everything else in between!

Love these images of the Barn by Craig Williams for Becky & Wills special day

Here we have the band on the island, weeping willow line the island providing a secluded and intimate space.

You can't have a woodland wedding without a tree swing.

I've taken a few pics from a variety of Weddings at Happy Valley. Set in the heart of North West Norfolk this wedding venue is surrounded by Woodland and has magic written all over it. Unspoilt surrounds on a Norfolk Wildlife Trust you sure to feel super serene even on your Wedding day.

Wedding Prep

Caraz zagni photography cake Ellies Cakery

Happy Valley by night.

You can find recent pics of Happy Valley over on the instagram page - https://www.instagram.com/happyvnorfolk/

It's safe to say we're out of hibernation and the buzz has been growing at a rate of knots. I'm not just talking about the bees either! We've been planning Tribe Norfolk Weekend, hosting photo shoots, Wedding planning & welcoming lots of gorgeous guests.

Here's a quick whizz through of the past few weeks where we have been igniting our inner child.

First port of call for almost Spring was picnics!. Gosh, does Annie love a picnic. Morning, noon or night, whatever the weather. "Can we have a picnic Mummy?", Luckily I love a picnic to. "Of course my darling, let's get outdoors"

We feel so blessed to be close to the North Norfolk Coastline. In 20 minutes you can be lying on the beach making sand angels. Here at Holme Beach it felt like a Mid Summers day in April.

We also nipped to Brancaster Beach, another favourite.

One of my besties has just launched her own line of clothing & got me in front of the camera. This is a rarity these days but I absolutely adore these dresses and couldn't say no. I've lived in this one since the day I got it. Mustard lounge dress is a variety of beautiful colours. Available from Wildling Woman

Must be Hot Tub Time by now!

OH and the New Lodge is almost finished.

Toad Hall sits on it's own with beautiful views across to the village. You can see as far as Kings Lynn on a clear day. It's part disable friendly and pram friendly for that matter. Will have its own Kitchen, living area, wet room, king size sleeping downstairs and upstairs. Tree top balcony. BBQ etc

We are taking bookings for the Summer Holidays directly so please email hello@happyvalleynorfolk.co.uk for more information.

The lovely Kelly @ Mother of Golfers came to stay and took these beautiful pics for us. 2 working mums with their beautiful girls. Denver Rest works perfectly for this and also for 2 couples wanting to escape.

When the kiddies are tucked up why not relax and unwind immersed in nature. Experience the health benefit of forest bathing.

Hot Tub Time - The girls Loved their time in the Hot Tub.

Who doesn't like a toasted Marshmallow? They are heaven on earth.

The beauty of Happy Valley is that you can see your children playing in the distance, freedom of space, everyone is happy.

King Bell is up!

We've erected the King Bell Tent and she was enjoyed by her first guests of the season. I've just added us to Trip Advisor. If you have stayed at Happy Valley before and enjoyed your stay please do write us a review on there. If you have any feedback we'd love to hear from you. We are constantly adapting the site to meet expectations and really appreciate all feedback. If you think of any improvements please email us directly hello@happyvalleynorfolk.co.uk

The cowslip is out and daisy's a plenty. Amongst all the activity we thought we'd get some family yoga practice in to recenter ourselves! Practice makes perfect!

I saw this quote and remembered. Put it into practice and the changes happen.

A couple weeks later than planned but here's a wee blog I did on our Nature Walk around Happy Valley.

Today reminded me how beautiful Autumn is at Happy Valley. Annie and I went on a mini adventure complete with minion backpack to collect our treasures from which we were to create a masterpiece. Feelers out! Whats about!

It wasn't long before we stopped to take a picture of the hedge. Yes the hedge, bursting with beauty. The wild berries and ivy waterfalls. Purples, pinks, yellows, who knew hedges could be so beautiful and fruitful. The bracken showing us that Autumn is here and blackberries providing a welcome snack..

We thought this looked like an Ivy Waterfall.

I couldn't tell you what this wonderful pink sea urchin looking plant is. Can you? Nature therapy worked it's magic and we were in a little heaven of our own.

Tire swings, hammocks and Den building throughout the woods at Happy Valley.

Awesome Earth

So we sat down and created this for Nanas Birthday Present.

Sometimes it can be a struggle to get out of the house, especially if the weather isn't ideal or spirits are low. But i've come to realise that as soon as we're out exploring then the therapy starts. It's incredible how just being outside, beauty is everywhere. In abundance. It almost instantly makes me feel better and the benefits are huge for all the family. It's free and it's accessible.

Most people believe that the outdoors is good for us. Now there’s a ton of research proving that time out in nature is essential to our physical, psychological health and well-being.

Reduce Stress

Immersing ourselves in the Forest aka “Forest Bathing” refers to time spent amongst the trees. This has now been scientifically proven as having a positive impact on reducing stress levels and lowering blood pressure. Forest Bathing is a long valued preventative medicine in cultures such as Japan but we’re only just cottoning on here in the West.

One reason Mother Nature may work as such a great stress-buster is through scent. The scent of fresh pine has even been shown to lower depression and anxiety. In addition to helping decrease stress levels, spending more time with nature shows a shift toward a more positive mood says Judith Heerwagon, a Seattle based environmental psychologist.

Have Better Sleep ZZZZZzzzzzzzz

Evidence suggest that being amongst forests may pay a pivotal role in the sleep you get at night. The study found that being in nature improves physical activity levels, which in turn promote sound sleep at night. A new study shows exposure to a natural environment may help people get the sleep they need said lead author Diana Grisby – Toussaint.

With a Super King Bed, Woodburner, Kitchenette, Breakfast Bar, Private Heated Toilet and Shower Room and woodland garden. Not hard to get a good night sleeps. Glamping in laid back luxury.

Be More Creative

If you’re feeling a little uninspired or lacking creativity then a break in the forest is the best remedy. According to David Strayer P.H.D a Professor of cognition and neural science at the university of Utah, modern multitasking overtakes brain areas that are involved in supressing distracting thinking creatively, and developing a sense of identity. David Stayer discovered that four days backpacking in nature improved peoples creativity by 50%.

Heal your Body as Well as your Mind

Nature doesn’t just have an effect on the mind. Roger S. Ulrich, PhD, director of the Center for Health Systems and Design at Texas A&M University, has found that nature can help the body heal, too.

In his most well-known study, Ulrich investigated the effect that views from windows had on patients recovering from abdominal surgery. He discovered that patients whose hospital rooms overlooked trees had an easier time recovering than those whose rooms overlooked brick walls. Patients able to see nature got out of the hospital faster, had fewer complications and required less pain medication than those forced to stare at a wall.

Like other researchers, Ulrich has found that simply viewing representations of nature can help. In a study at a Swedish hospital, for instance, he found that heart surgery patients in intensive care units could reduce their anxiety and need for pain medication by looking at pictures depicting trees and water.

Pic taken - January 2017

If you’re interested in booking a stay at Happy Valley then please call Katy on 01485 600719 or email – hello@HappyValleyNorfolk.co.uk